UiO:Life Science funds convergence environments - interdisciplinary research groups that work on major societal challenges within life science related to health, environment, and sustainability.
Director Carl Henrik G?rbitz is pleased with the number of applications and states: – One of the key ambitions of this initiative is to initiate and support interdisciplinary research projects and research-oriented activities, so it is especially gratifying to see that there are so many interdisciplinary groups at UiO that wish to collaborate on projects. This time, seven to eight research groups will receive funding, and I am quite sure that the evaluation panel, which will now assess the applications, will have a difficult task in selecting the finalists.
What happens next?
In January and February, themed workshops were held where they met researchers from other disciplines to discuss possible collaborative research projects. The deadline for submitting project proposals was March 20, and only those who had submitted a proposal could submit a full application.
This is the fourth application round since UiO:Life Science was established in 2015. This call has a different setup than previous ones, as approximately three or four of the convergence environments will be reserved for projects that primarily involve researchers based at the Life Science building. Of the 51 applications, 20 were in this category, while the remaining were in the "open class.
By 30 June, the evaluation panel will select 12-15 finalists who will proceed to the next stage. The finalists will have the opportunity to present their projects and meet with the panel later in the process. The final decision will be made by the board of UiO:Life Science on 30 October, and the new convergence environments will be announced on 5 November. Each of them will receive three to four recruitment positions and operational funding. The start date is no later than August 2026.